


A Chance Encounter

by hatouji



Category: Far Cry (Video Games), Far Cry 5
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 06:32:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17637596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatouji/pseuds/hatouji
Summary: The Deputy not only gets lost in the middle of the woods at night but also injures herself.





	A Chance Encounter

It was difficult to see, appreciate the beauty through the filter of the branches, stretching this way and that far above, but the sky was a deep shade of orange. It was getting darker and the Deputy was dreading it, cursing herself. It felt like she was walking for hours. How did she fuck up so badly?

Somewhere among the greenery, on her way to a nearby cabin to spend the night she had taken a slightly wrong turn and lost her way. And since all the trees looked exactly the same, getting herself back on track was difficult and lead her to aimlessly wander hoping eventually she would come across something to set her back on the right path. Initially, she brushed off her fuck-up and was confident that if she couldn’t get to the cabin by nightfall, she would at least be able to get to the main road before it got too dark and she could call someone to pick her up. That was before she decided to pick up her pace, light beginning to wane, and she twisted her foot.

Wincing with every step, she huffed at her own stupidity. With her foot in the condition it was in, she would not get very far and would only aggravate whatever injury she gave herself and make it worse. She couldn’t even find the strength to radio anyone, it’s not like they could help her until morning. More importantly, she didn’t want her friends to worry about her. 

She dropped onto the floor in frustration and tried to hold back tears that were pricking at her eyes. The day had been too long, taxing and her mind could not help wonder and conjure every horrible scenario she had subjected herself to when she injured herself, logic going out of the window as she continued to scare herself more and more.

She was likely too deep into the forest for any Peggies to make a surprise appearance at this hour but come morning there were no guarantees they wouldn’t attack her first chance they got. Her immediate concern lay with the wild animals. If she came across a bear, she couldn’t exactly flee in the state she was in. She’d be mauled before she could put enough bullets in its head to take it down and eventually someone might come across her pathetic mangled body. Maybe they’ll be able to eventually identify her. They could probably get a good laugh out of her fate. Joseph would be kind of pissed, sure, but the Peggies could continue their reign of terror in relative peace without her. John would certainly sleep better at night. The hero of the Resistance. Death by twisted ankle.

Her heart thud in her ears as the tears streamed down her cheeks, mouth dry. She blinked desperately, a hand clenching at the front of her shirt as her chest heaved. She would die. She would die like a dumbass because of a stupid little injury. She would die here all alone and leave all of her friends, her sweet little god-daughter behind to the mercy of the cult.

She tried to level her breathing, tried to desperately calm herself but the sense of dread did not leave and only increased with the continuous crackling of twigs in the distance and birds cooing but when something landed on her shoulder, she didn’t have the power to yell. All she could do was cower, mouth still open in a desperate attempt to regulate her breathing.

“My child, it is me,” a calm voice spoke out but despite the reassurance, she remained in her panicked state, not acknowledging its presence. Kneeling in front of the distressed Deputy, Joseph slowly reached a hand to her face, brushing the tears away but they continued to fall in streams.

“You are all right, my dear. You are safe. Breathe.”

When the words reached her ears, they were garbled like she was underwater. She felt sick. Looking at him helplessly, she tried to utter a sound but nothing would come out. At that, Joseph frowned and reached forward to wrap his arms around Rook, bringing her head to his chest and she didn’t have the strength to do anything except let him hold her there.

“Listen to my heart, feel my chest falling with each breath. Breathe with me. You are all right. Just breathe, child.”

She stayed in his arms, warm around her in the chilly night air just mimicking his breathing. The beating in her ear was steady now and she tried to anchor herself to the sound, to reality. Her ankle throbbed painfully. 

At some point, the tears stopped and so did the hyperventilating and she could feel his hands rubbing at her back soothingly, his lips pressed to her hair. She tiredly raised her head to look at him, eyes swollen and looking slightly lost as though she had just woken up. He blinked back at her, not making any move to let her go, patiently watching her as she floundered for something to say.

“I-,” she coughed causing Joseph to frown “-I injured my foot. I can’t walk,” she murmured.

He nodded his understanding, eyes narrowed behind his glasses in concern.

“There is a cabin right ahead. I assume you were making your way there before you got hurt.”

She yelped as he suddenly stood up, scooping her up with a quiet grunt and walked ahead slowly, carrying her all the while, trying to watch his feet so as not to trip. If she had just kept calm, she could have found her way there herself, she thought bitterly but didn’t voice such thoughts. 

Out of anyone that could have found her in such a state, she had to admit that Joseph was ideal. She was thankful this wasn’t Holland Valley and it wasn’t John that had come across her. He likely would have taken advantage of her handicap and dragged her to atone, mocking her predicament all the while. Joseph, on the other hand, seemed to have an endless amount of patience for her and would not give up the notion that with enough preaching she would see the light, wanting her to give herself to him on her own accord. She hoped that her assessment of him proved right once again and he wouldn’t use this against her.

The cabin turned out to be only a couple of minutes walk from where she collapsed. But what was Joseph doing in the middle of the woods all by himself?

“How did you find me?” she mumbled into his vest. She was thankful that he had decided to fully clothe himself today.

“God led me to you.”

At that, she looked up at him and deadpanned. He regarded her expression for a moment before a small smile tugged at his mouth. Was that an attempt at a joke?

“I happened to be passing by when I saw you. I wanted to keep an eye on you to make sure you would be okay. It was getting rather dark to be wandering through the woods.”

There was no way he had just conveniently been passing by and found her so deep in the forest but she dropped it, too tired to argue. She’d worry about Joseph Seed potentially stalking her later when she wasn’t injured.

“I thought it’d be fine…” she said, trailing off as she was once again reminded of how stupid she had been. When Joseph approached the cabin, still holding her securely in his arms, he kicked the door open and was met with the aftermath of chaos. The cabin was a mess, furniture was thrown about in signs of struggle but the bed frame and the mattress were intact. There she was gently placed and Joseph went fishing through the contents of the med kit.

“I’m sure you are no stranger to injuries. All that violence does not come without consequence but you ought to be more careful, especially at night time,” he chastised as he returned to her side with what he had been looking for, bandages. He kneeled beside her and took care of her ankle, wrapping it tightly, the Deputy watching him all the while.

“You sound like my dad.”

“I am the father,” he smiled up at her. She couldn’t help groan but he continued his spiel, regardless. “And you are my child. And together-”

“-I have a feeling I won’t be marching anywhere anytime soon.”

He chuckled at that and finally stood, having finished his work on her foot.

“The pain should subside within a couple of days. Your friends can come get you in the morning and they’ll be able to take better care of you.”

“Thanks, Joseph,” she mumbled bashfully, feeling slightly uncomfortable at all the attention but he smiled brightly at her in response.

“Take care.”

With that, he was gone and Rook was all alone in the cabin, once again left to her own devices. What on earth had just happened? She supposed she should tell someone about her predicament and ask them to pick her up in the morning. She’d conveniently omit the parts where she shamelessly snotted up Joseph’s shirt.

**Author's Note:**

> I was in a slump about my writing until recently but this is meant to be for fun and maybe someone will like it so I’m slowing crawling back to all the wips I’ve abandoned. I think this was the most self-indulgent thing I’ve ever written. I just wanted to write something comforting about panic attacks and this happened. I’m a dumb bitch who has no sense of direction and I have a tendency to try to speed walk everywhere and I end up hurting my feet in the process way too often but “got to go fast”, I guess. Deputy is a dumbass. Drawing that aspect of this from myself, too. I want Joseph to just hold me and calm me down during a panic attack. What was Joseph doing in the woods in the evening? I don’t know, man. I didn’t think it through that far and at this point, I don’t want to. As usual comments or feedback are appreciated. Ideas for future fics are also welcome!


End file.
